Insulated rail-joint.



11m-845,496. PATBNTED 1213.25, 1907.

, 1 .Y GL W.WH1TBMAN.

INSULATBD RAIL JOINT. v

APPLIATION FILED SEPT. 14,719,05..

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i 5 up, and to provide a solid .UNITED srA'rEs PATENT-,OFFICE GEORGE w.WHITEMAH oF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

Y .IIN'SULATED RAIL-JOINT. i l

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 26, 1907.

.To all whom, it may concern.:

j, Be it known that I, GEORGE W. WHITE- MAN, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented 5 certainImprovements in Insulated Rail- Joints, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates ,to rail-joints, and consists of certainimprovements in joints of io this character having insulating materialdisposed betWeen the meeting ends of the rails, the object' of myinvention being toy simplify the .construction of such joints, toprovide one in which the Wear can be readily taken metal support for thereceiving end ofthe rai My invention is fully shown in the accompanyingdrawing, in which- Figure 1 is a plan view of a rail-joint made zo inaccordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a sectional plan view ofthesame', taken on the line a a, Fig. 3. Fig. Slis a cross-sectional viewtaken on the line b b, Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of one ofthe insulating 2 5 members, and Fig. 5 is a perspective view ofv one ofthe wedge-blocks.

In the joint forming the subject of my invention the insulation isconfined solely to one of the meeting ends of the rails, .and in platesor splice-bars. end 2 is insulation in the form of longitudinal pieces4, of hard rubber, parchmentized fiber, or other similar material, and abridge-'piece 5, of the same material, disposed directl between themeeting ends of the rails. nterposed between the web 6 ofthe rail end 2and the longitudinal insulating-pieces 4 are the wedge-blocks 7, thefish-plates orsplice-bars being extended laterally at 8 to accommodatethe -insulation and the Wed e-blocks. The pieces of insulation are V-aped in cross-section and the splice-bars and Wedgeblocks have engagingfaces of similar shape.

The joint is held in place by the usual bolts 9 and 10, the 'latterpassing through the insulated portion and being provided' With sleeves11 of insulating material. Washers 12, of the same material, are placedunder the heads and nuts ofthe bolts 10.

The holes 13 in the Wedge-blocks through which the bolts 10 pass areelongated so that said wedge-blocks may up Wear upon this portion'of thejoint.

The wedge-blocks' 7 have an angular outer vface 12 between which and theface`13 of the splice-bars the insulating-pieces 4' are disposed. Thewedge-blocks are disposed be- Surrounding the rail U be moved endwisewhen it 1s desired to take 3o combination With such insulation andthesplice-bars, which are made so as to accom-. `modate the same, I providewedge-blocks capable of endwise movement for a limited extent to take'uany wear that may occur .3 5 at this point, suc .wed e-blocks servingalso to provide a solid meta support for this end of the rail. i In myimproved joint I insulate the meet' ing end of the rail nearest thepoint from 4o `which the traffic `a roaches on such line of rails, whichrail llave designated as the freceiving-rail., Inordinary joints thisend of the rail is depressed to a greater -or less extent every time atrain passes over vthe same, 45' and thisv depression, especially in thecase of insulated joints, causes a great deal of wear which mustA hecompensatedfor and subjects the bolts connecting the splicebars to a'considerable amount of tension and strain. 5o- By tightening up theWedge-blocks employed in my improved' 'oint I can take up the wear fatthis .point an by disposing suc blocks in :fe a ement with the headandbase of the 51; relieve the strain on the bolts. 55. f In `thedrawing herewith, 1 and 2 re resent the meeting ends-of the rails, and 3t e fishtween the head and base of the rail, as clearly shown in Fig. 3,'and the s lice-bars overlies the base of the wedgeb ocks. By thisconstruction aiirm support is aorded at this end of the j ointrelieving.9e the tension usually falling upon the bolts. The wedge-blocks haveprojections 14, and the splice-bars have recesses 15 disposed o positeeach other When the joint is assemb ed, as shown in Fig. 2. These partscoact- 95. ing displace a portion of the insulating-pieces 4 coni'inedbetween the same and prevent any creeping of said insulation. 'Havingthus described my invention, I claim and desireto secure by LettersPatent- 1. The combination, in an insulated railoint, of the meetingends of the rails, splicears connecting said rails, .insulating materialembracing one of said rail ends and confined by said splice-bars,adjoining ends of each of the latter being deflected laterally toaccommodate. said insulati material, and wedgin means in contact Wit theinsulating f materia for taking up wear. Y 2. The combination, in an.insulated railjoint, of the meeting ends of the rails, spliceportion 8of the. l I

- j rial, and angularly-faced wedge-blocks fitting bars connecting saidrail ends, insulating material embracing one of. said rail ends andconiined by the splice-bars, adjoining ends of each of the latter beingvdellected laterally to accommodate said insulating material, and wedgingmeans embraced by said defiected portions for taking up wear andtightening said end of the joint.

3. ,The combination, in an insulated railjoint, of the meetin ends ofthe rails, splicebars connecting sa' rail ends, insulating materialembracing one of said rail ends and ctnfined by the splice-bars,adjoining ends ofv each of the latter beingdefiected laterally toaccommodate said insulating material, and wedging means embraced by saiddeflected portions and interposed between the web of' the rail and theinsulatingmaterial for taking up wear at said end of the joint.

'4. The combination, in an insulated railjoint, of the meeting ends ofthe rails, insulating material embracing one of said rail ends,splice-bars connecting the rails and having one end enlarged toaccommodate the insulating material, and wedge-blocks to adjoiningendsdeflected laterally, insulatin` material embracing one of the rail endsan 'confined bythe lateral deflections of the splice-bars, insulatingmaterial between the meeting ends of the rails, andwedge-blocksinterposed between the web of the rail and the insulating materialconfined by the splice-bars. j a

7. rihe combination, in an insulated railjoint, of the meeting ends ofthe rails, insulating material embracing one of said rail ends,splice-bars connecting the rails and having one end enlarged andangularly re-V cessed to accommodate the insulating matethe splice-barsand confining the insulating material in place. f

8. The combination, in, an insulated railjoint, of themeeting ends ofthe rails, insulating material embracing one of said rail ends,splice-bars connecting the rails and having one end -enlarged toaccommodate the insulating material, 'wedge-blocks interposed betweensaid insulating -material and the web of the rail to confine'theinsulating material in place and take up the wear at said end of thejoint, and means carried by said wedge-blocks and vsplice-bars forpreventing the creeping of the insulating material.

9. The combination, in an insulated railjoint, 'of the meeting ends ofthe rails, insu lating material embracing one of said rail ends,splice-bars connecting the rails and having their adjoining endslaterally extended and each provided with an angular recess toaccommodate the insulating material, and angularly-faced wedge-blocksconiining said 'insulating material in place, said blocks disposedbetween the head and base of the rail and having a portion underlyingthe lateral extensions of the splice-bars.

10. The combination, in an insulated railjoint, ofthe meeting endsof therails, insulating material embracing one of said rail ends',splice-barsv connecting the rails and hav ing one end enlarged toaccommodate the insulating material, wedge-blocks interposedv betweensaid insulating material and the web of the rail to .take up thewar atsaid end of the joint, and 'projections carried by said wedge-blocks todisplace a portion of the insulating material and prevent the creepingof the same, said splice-bars having recesses receiving suc-h displacedportions. 11.V Thecombination, in an insulated railjoint, of thesplice-bars each having adjoiningends directly engaging one of tnerails, lateralextensions at the opposite adjoining ends of said slice-bars, each having angular faces, wed elocks fitting the spacebetween said latera extensions and the other meeting end of the rail andengaging the head .and

base of said rail end, and insulating material between said wedge-blocksand the lateral extensions of the splice-bars, the wedgeblocks havingangular faces underlying the lateral extensions of the splice-bars andserving to relieve the strain on the bol ts.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.. i I

GEORGE W. WHITEMAN.'

Witnesses:

MURRAY C. Boren Jos. H. KLEIN;

